The Trail of Black Hawk

by Paul G. Tomlinson

“You know I feel sort of sorry for him,” said Joseph. “I never had any pity for him when we were fighting him but he looks sort of pitiful now.”

“Not to me,” cried Robert. “I can’t forget what he did to us.”

Speeches were now made by the different men in the assembly. Black Hawk’s two captors related how they had captured the prisoner at the Wisconsin River Dells, and Agent Street congratulated, them on their good work. Finally Black Hawk’s turn came and he arose slowly and proudly from his seat. In a steady and clear voice he faced the crowd and spoke as follows:

“You have taken me prisoner with all my warriors. I am much grieved, for I expected if I did not defeat you, to hold out much longer, and give you more trouble before I surrendered. I tried hard to bring you into ambush, but your last general understands Indian fighting. The first one was not so wise. When I saw I could not beat you by Indian fighting I determined to rush on you, and fight you face to face. I fought hard. But your guns were well aimed. The bullets flew like birds in the air and whizzed by our ears like the wind through the trees in winter. My warriors fell around me; it began to look dismal. I saw my evil day at hand. The sun rose dim on us in the morning and at night it sank in a dark cloud, and looked like a ball of fire. That was the last sun that shone on Black Hawk. His heart is dead, and no longer beats quick in his bosom. He is now a prisoner of the white men; they will do with him as they wish. But he can stand torture and is not afraid of death. He is no coward. Black Hawk is an Indian.

“He has done nothing for which an Indian ought to be ashamed. He has fought for his countrymen, the squaws and the papooses, against white men, who came year after year to cheat him and take away their lands. You know the cause of our making war. It is known to all white men. They ought to be ashamed of it. The white men despise the Indians, and drive them from their homes. But the Indians are not deceitful. The white men speak bad of the Indian, and look at him spitefully. But the Indian does not tell lies; Indians do not steal.

“An Indian who is as bad as the white men could not live in our nation; he would be put to death and eaten up by the wolves. The white men are bad schoolmasters; they carry false books. They smile in the face of the poor Indian to cheat him; they shake him by the hand to gain his confidence, to make him drunk, to deceive and ruin him. We told them to let us alone and keep away from us, but they followed on and beset our paths, and they coiled themselves among us like the snake. They poisoned us by their touch. We were not safe. We lived in danger. We were becoming like them, hypocrites and liars, all talkers and no workers.

“We looked up to the Great Spirit. We went to our great father. We were encouraged. His great council gave us fair words and big promises; but we got no satisfaction. Things were growing worse. There were no deer in the forest. The opossum and beaver were fled; the springs were drying up, and our squaws and papooses were without victuals to keep them from starving. We called a great council and built a large fire. The spirit of our fathers arose and spoke to us to avenge our wrongs or die. We all spoke before the council fire. It was warm and pleasant. We set up the war whoop and dug up the tomahawk; our knives were ready and the heart of Black Hawk swelled high in his bosom when he led his warriors to battle. He is satisfied. He will go to the world of spirits contented. He has done his duty. His father will meet him there and commend him.

“Black Hawk is a true Indian and disdains to cry like a woman. He feels for his wife, his children and friends. But he does not care for himself. He cares for his nation and the Indians. They will suffer. He laments their fate. The white men poison the heart. My countrymen will in a few years become like the white men, so that you cannot trust them, and there must be as in the white settlements, nearly as many officers as men to take care of them and keep them in order.

“Farewell, my nation. Black Hawk tried to save you, and avenge your wrongs. He drank the blood of some of the Whites. He has been taken prisoner and his plans are stopped. He can do no more. He is near his end. His sun is setting and he will rise no more. Farewell to Black Hawk.”

He finished speaking and a silence fell upon the crowd gathered to hear him. He had made a profound impression and his hearers were deeply affected.